The next few days were filled with love making, walking in the garden, bathing, making love, eating, exercising, and more gentle sex. After almost a week, Sagon appeared to be in the peak of health. He had gained weight and moved with much more ease. His eyes sparkled again and he laughed easily with Lio, the pleasure slave the queen had awarded him. And pleasure he was, always ready for a sensuous dance, loving and giving in bed.

Sagon told him about his last battle, and about the dreams that had plagued him. Lio had listened sympathetically, reassuring Sagon that he had done the right thing in killing the foreign warriors, whether they be men, women or children.

Lio told Sagon about his bout with depression, and foolishness in striking the mirror. Sagon said he understood, and would feel much the same way in Lio's position.

On evening, as they lay in bed together, Sagon examined Lio's right hand and arm. "Now, this is strange," he remarked, turning Lio's hand this way and that.

"What?" Lio asked.

"Your tattoo. Did you have it redone after the injury?" Sagon inquired.

"No," answered Lio. "It's always been there, just like that."

"But look," Sagon persisted. He traced some of the scars that cut across the marking. "Here, and here. These scars should cause a break in the design, but it continues unbroken even across the scarring. Very odd."

"Is it?" Lio asked, not really interested. As far as he was concerned, they were just part of his body and he didn't really pay much attention to them.

"Sagon," Lio began after a short silence. "You said that for a long time, after the battle, you didn't really feel alive. But now, here with me, you feel more alive than ever. Do you really want to feel alive?"

Sagon narrowed his eyes at Lio's bantering tone. "What do you have in mind?" he asked suspiciously.

Lio sat up, eyes gleaming. "I can give you an experience I guarantee you have never had before."

"Oh, you think so?" Sagon challenged.

A hint of uncertainty dimmed the exuberance in Lio's eyes. "Well, yes, but I have to ask you something. I would have to take you, would that be all right? I mean, have you been taken before?"

Sagon stared at Lio for a long moment before he burst out laughing. "Oh, gods, Lio, is that what you think? I thought maybe you just didn't like to be the one on top. No, no, I've been taken many times, and I would be delighted to experience that with you."

The glint of mischief had returned to Lio's eyes, and he leaned forward, brushing Sagon's lips with his own. "Oh, you'll experience much more than that," he promised.

Sagon watched as Lio began a series of exercises on the bed, stretching his legs and back, flexing his limber body.

"Why am I getting nervous about this?" Sagon asked with a wry smile.

Lio just grinned at him, the pushed him gently back on the bed. "Just relax, let me do all the work this time," Lio breathed. Sagon began to shiver.

Lio began by kissing Sagon deeply, letting his tongue play in the sweetness of the older man's mouth. Sagon responded enthusiastically, but was held down every time he tried to take a more active role. Soon, Lio's talented tongue moved across his jaw and down his neck, sucking at the pulse point and nipping at Sagon's adam's apple.

Sagon groaned. Lio took that as the signal to move to the sensitive buds on the warrior's chest, sucking and nipping until Sagon was writhing on the bed, his sex hard and drooling. Lio adroitly avoided the needy flesh as he moved down Sagon's stomach to kiss and nip the tender skin of his hips and inner thighs.

Finally, Lio began to fondle the full orbs beneath Sagon's cock, massaging the skin covering them, sucking each one into his mouth to roll them about on his tongue.

Sagon was gasping and pleading for Lio to end his torment. Lio just chuckled and kept promising, "Soon, soon."

Lio scooped the lightly scented oil onto his fingers, rubbing and teasing Sagon's tight hole. Slipping one finger in, Lio stroked, coating Sagon's insides completely. Sagon pressed down against Lio's finger, squirming to find that ecstasy he craved. Lio denied him, however, carefully avoiding the sensitive nub within. Soon, Lio had two then three fingers inside Sagon's anus, stretching and preparing him for penetration.

"Lio, gods, you're going to kill me. Please, please!" Sagon begged.

Lio lifted Sagon's legs, scooting forward until he had Sagon's legs draped across his own thighs. Sagon felt Lio's hard cock rubbing against his balls as the boy snugged his groin right up against Sagon's body. Carefully, holding himself in position, Lio eased into Sagon's tight channel. Lio reveled in the strength with which Sagon gripped him, the heat searing into his soul. Sagon groaned as Lio entered him incredibly slowly, allowing him to feel each inch of that hard flesh.

Sagon tried to move his hips, to generate that friction he needed so badly, but Lio put his hands on him to keep him still. "Look at me," Lio said, voice husky with lust.

Moving a couple of pillows under his neck, Sagon raised his head to watch the amazing sight of Lio bending down over him. Sagon squirmed, feeling the rigid shaft buried deeply within. Lio had lowered his head, and was curling down and down, closer to Sagon's aching erection. Sagon watched, almost unbelieving, as Lio's lips closed around the head of his straining shaft. Sagon couldn't watch any longer as the heat from Lio's mouth sucked him into another realm.

Then Lio began to rock his hips, moving his cock almost infinitesimally inside Sagon's ass. Each minute thrust drove Sagon deeper into Lio's mouth. Sagon's head began to whip back and forth on the pillows as his hands clutched Lio's hair. The sensation was almost unbearable, just on the border between pleasure and pain. The hard cock filled his ass completely and the hot mouth sucked his very soul from his being. Lio reached up blindly and found Sagon's nipples, grasping them firmly and tugging almost brutally.

The little bit of pain pushed Sagon over the edge and spasms racked his body. Sagon cried out as his cock exploded deep in Lio's mouth, his own spasms driving Lio even deeper into him. The powerful contractions of his bowels pulled Lio along with him, and Sagon felt the heat deep within as Lio pumped into him.

Sagon drifted in a haze of bliss. If Death came for him now, He would find a happy man. Much later, after Lio had cleaned them both up, Sagon was able to talk. "Lio, that was incredible. I've never… Not even thought…"

Lio laughed lightly. "I know. There's not many who can do that. It's kind of a special trick I learned."

Sagon sighed. He had intended to tell Lio that he was leaving tomorrow, but in the aftermath of such an incredible experience, he was having trouble finding the words.

Lio knew what he was thinking, however. He had seen the signs the last couple of days. As Sagon improved, Lio's spirits fell. The man had been sent to him for spiritual healing, Lio knew. And Lio had worked his magic as always. Of course, the more success Lio had the sooner his Master would leave him and he would be alone again. He laughed and kissed and rolled over whenever Sagon wanted, trying desperately to hide his increasing depression.

Lio lay now with his head on Sagon's shoulder, tracing lazy patterns over his chest with the feathers hanging from his braids.

"You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you," Lio asked.

Sagon stilled, then sighed heavily. "Yes. I think it's time."

"You're much better than when you came," Lio said. "Keep doing those exercises."

"Lio, how do I thank you?" Sagon rubbed his hand up and down across Lio's back.

"You don't have to thank me. Thank whoever sent you to me. I'm just doing what I've been trained to do." Lio spoke without bitterness, but the words stabbed into Sagon's heart all the same.

'What's the matter with you, old dog? Falling in love with a slave? And if you are, what of it? You've got money, maybe you could… Stop it. You can't afford a Key, especially one as highly trained as this. And if you did buy him, what would you do with him? Foolish fantasies. And yet, he can't stay here forever. Can he?'

Sagon groaned as his thoughts chased themselves through his brain.

"Sagon? Are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I?" Lio asked anxiously.

"No, my wonderful boy, you didn't hurt me. Lio, do any of the Keys ever leave here?"

Lio caught his breath, afraid of the hope that leapt to his heart. "Sometimes. They get bought, or stolen. Or sick or old."

"But you don't get older," Sagon said.

"No, not that I can tell," Lio answered. "My hair doesn't even grow. I have seen others get older, though. Pages, and some of the people I see in the gardens below. And I've never been sick, here. I've been hurt a couple of times, but not sick."

"So I would have to buy or steal you to have you for my own," Sagon mused out loud. He raised his head sharply when he felt the hot tears on his chest. "Lio, what's the matter?"

"Please don't, Master. Don't talk about taking me away, I can't stand it." Lio was openly sobbing now. "No one ever comes back to me, I don't ever see a familiar face unless it's one of the pages. And no one ever talks about keeping me for his own. Don't… don't make me hope. I can't, I just can't afford it."

"Lio, Lio. Shh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. It's just an old man's dream. I didn't mean to hurt you." Sagon tried to sooth the distraught boy.

Lio hit him weakly on the chest. "And don't call yourself old. You're not old."

They lay in silence the rest of the night, and in the morning Sagon said goodbye. Lio was a brave as he could be, ordering a big breakfast and feeding Sagon every bite from his own fingers. When Sagon left, Lio dressed again in his purple and silver robe and knelt in the middle of the floor before the door.

"Lio," Sagon started to say, but Lio just bowed his head.

"Goodbye, Master. Good health to you." Sagon turned and left.

The Gryphon Key was alone again.